St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-18
AN AERoNAUTs STORY.

Fighting for Life With Maniac
10000 Feet Above the Earth
"A Desperate Struggle for the
Mastery.
Leeds Mercury
A great crowd gathered to see me as
cend. Sonic of the citizens had prom
ised to go with me, but their courage
failed at the last moment and resolved
to go alone.
Wherever 1 had made ascensions,
although in widely different places, /
mad always noticed among the specta-
TORS young man whose unusual pallOr
and deep-sunken great eyes had i'm
pressed me. He was greatly interested
in my undertaking, and pressed
near to offer any slight assistance.
had become so use to his presence that
at +. involuntarily looked around for
him as | called to my men t0jmake ready.
The unknown stood close by the bar
rier, paler and more haggard than ever.
sprang into the boat and ordered the
rope to be cut.
AT the same moment / saw move
ment among the spectators, but did not
heed 1t as was arranging some things
In the bottom of the boat and was stoop-
ing over and busy when the quickly
rising balloon was high in the air. Great
was my establishment when looked up
and saw that strange looking young
man with me.
Your obedient servant, sir" said he
very politely.
''By what right are you here?" 1 asked
&asked Indignantly.
"YOu could not escape me; therefore
have right to be here" he said.
! PernleXed nv this anSWar I was ciJent
UntrOubled by my amaZement he went
on: sin this way we shall never go up"
| With these words he seized two bags of
ballast and cast them out.
"Sir," cried, angrily catching his
arm, 81 cannot allow that" The
barometer showed me that the balloon
had risen 1000 feet. 1--WE must de-
scend.' said L; "those clouds darkening
around us, and growing blacker and
| der Storm
mo-" he cried, tive must dash
through the clOunds; the lightning shall
flash far below u.s." and once more two
bags Of ballast flew overheard. l strug-
| gled to hold him back, but he pushed
me to the floor with one hand, while he
carried out his purpose with the other,
saying: Il am very sorry, but l see
you do not understand the thing, so l
must take the whole control. Now.
don't interfere with me again."
He continued throwing overheard bag
| after bag of ballast, holding me firmly
| back as soon as l tried to prevent his
actions. saw i had to deal with mad
man, far my superior in physical
strength, so / resolved to try cunning.
tried to interest him in conversation
| while slyly pulled the valve-rOpe and
hoped to bring the balloon down before
he observed our course.
Suddenly he said: ''You have opened
the valve in spite of my orders.''
dropped the string. fortunately" he
continued, while he flung some bags
| over the side, 1--WE have yet 200 pounds
of ballast. I allowed you to open the
valve because the gas threatened to
burst the balloon, but don't you do it
again. The clouds sailed under us in a
glittering stream, On which the balloon
cast deep shadow. Thunder rumbled
| far below.
Once more he lightened the balloon
by fifty pounds, and it shot upward like
an arrow. The delirium of my uncom-
| Portable companion seemed to increase
in proportion to our distance from the
earth.
Higher, higher! You need not know
more"
With these words ne flung the COM
pass out: 1 was as helpless as child
before the mailman. To my urgent en-
changed he only i1'' cri ed: Il f'' am
out of patience with you.
Now you shall no longer know whether
we go up or down." Then he threw
| the barometer and half the remaining
ballast after the compass. Even
higher rose the balloons, my. heart
| flowed from my nose and mouth.
Desperation gave me strength. l
struggled with him but had to yield.
He threw me to the floor, and, holding
| me there, he took knife from his
pocket and cut rope.
With a shrek flew to the end of the
boat, instinctively chung to the only
remaining rope, and, overwhelmed by
horror, closed my eyes.
After a long pause opened them and
found myself alone upon the boat
companion had vanished. 1 rose still
higher, higher, rushing so swiftly
| through the air that every breath I
drew was keenest torture. A sharp
frost made my teeth chatter, but sud-
denly suffOcating heat took the place
of the cold. I found myself in the
middle of a glowing, fiery cloud, and
heard terrific report-the gas had
burst from its prison.
| The balloon whirled with horrible
rapidity as it collapsed-an ugly, form
| less mass.
The descent seemed long. AS Ineared
| the earth saw was within two miles
of the ocean and feared the wind would
drive me there. During the whole jour
| ney down / had been standing on the
end of the boat, convulsively clinging
to the rope. A violent lurch tore It
| from my hold and hurled me backward
| fell-not as l expected, into space, but
in the soft grass of meadow. 1 was
nearer the ground than could in my I'M
fortunate position judge. The anchor
trailing along, had luckily caught fast.
had scarcely dropped before the bal
loon, now unburdened, sailed swiftly
Off over the sea. A miracle saved me
from the most awful peril my exciting
| life ever brought me. Nothing was
ever heard of my unhappy companion.
The Pain From a Pugilist's Blow.